Ruling and opposition parties trade opening salvos ahead of Oh Se-hoon’s second-trial verdict; opposition furious over Seo Young-kyo’s remark that Oh “should be sentenced to prison”

[Financial News] With the second-trial verdict in Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s case over alleged proxy payment of Myeong Tae-gyun’s polling costs scheduled for 2 p.m. on the 23rd, the People Power Party said it expects an acquittal. After Seo Young-kyo, chair of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee and a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, issued a statement saying, “Mayor Oh should be sentenced to prison,” opposition parties have pushed back, calling it “interference in the trial.”
Choi Su-jin, the People Power Party’s senior deputy floor spokesperson, told reporters at the National Assembly that day, “Our party is confident there will be an acquittal, and we will wait and see.”
In a commentary the same day, Choi also said, “The public is asking why the judiciary imposes severe punishment on opposition local government heads based only on conflicting testimony, while applying an endlessly lenient standard to corruption allegations involving President Lee Jae Myung and ruling-party figures.” She added, “The judiciary must restore the justice of the judicial system, which has been undermined, through fair rulings based solely on law and evidence.”
After Committee Chair Seo issued a statement in her capacity as chair on the 22nd, during the committee’s parliamentary audit of the Public Prosecution Office, saying, “Mayor Oh should be sentenced to prison,” opposition parties are launching a counterattack.
At a meeting on parliamentary audit preparations on the 23rd, People Power Party Secretary-General Jeong Hee-yong said, “It is a clear infringement of judicial independence and interference in a trial for the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over the courts and must remain neutral, to pressure the court over the outcome and even the sentence in a particular trial.” He added, “It is a textbook example of arrogance: seeking to control even the political neutrality of investigative agencies and the independence of the judiciary according to the will of those in power.”
Lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu, chair of the People Power Party’s Legal Advisory Committee, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center and said, “The Constitution provides for the independent adjudication of judges, and the Act on the Inspection and Investigation of State Affairs also stipulates that inspection powers must not be exercised for the purpose of intervening in an ongoing trial.” He added, “Chair Seo trampled on both provisions at once.”
He continued, “The People Power Party is confident Mayor Oh will be acquitted, but we are not demanding a particular verdict from the court.” He added, “We only hope the court will make a rigorous, objective and politically neutral decision based on the law and evidence.”
Lawmaker Kim also urged, “Chair Seo must immediately withdraw her statement and apologize to the judiciary and the public.” He added, “She is no longer qualified to be chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Step down.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok appeared on “Minti 07” on the morning of the 23rd and said, “I have not found any signs that the guilty verdict in the first trial will change, so I am leaning more toward thinking it will stand as is, in line with the first-trial ruling.”
He said, “Even before examining the legal reasoning, I am mentally preparing for the first-trial ruling to stand as it is.” He added, “Being mentally prepared means that the possibility of ultimately having a Seoul mayoral election has increased.” Since a by-election for Seoul mayor would be held in April if the final ruling comes in January next year, he said they would begin preparing.

[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter